Notes & Theories + Spending review 2010 | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog+politics/spending-review
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The government agrees: Science is vital | Jenny Rohnhttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/science-is-vital-result
The doomsayers predicted we'd fail, but with very little time and a massive effort we scientists have shown that united we really can get results, says Jenny Rohn<p>Last week, I helped deliver the <a href="http://scienceisvital.org.uk" title="Science is Vital">Science Is Vital</a> petition to Downing Street, attended a lobby of parliament, and was part of a delegation invited to speak with David Willetts about the importance of science funding for the economy. During the intervening period, in the calm before the spending review storm, I have been living in quiet fear of today's announcement. And last night I was genuinely astonished at the news leaked from the Treasury: that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/19/spending-review-science-budget-spared" title="Guardian: Spending review spares science budget from deep cuts">cuts to the scientific research budget were to be much less severe than initially indicated</a>. Astonished and, yes, happy.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/science-is-vital-result">Continue reading...</a>Science funding crisisScience policyScienceSpending review 2010Tax and spendingPoliticsWed, 20 Oct 2010 16:28:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/science-is-vital-resultPrateek BuchProtesters on the Science is Vital rally outside the Treasury in London, Saturday 9 October 2010. Photograph: Prateek BuchPrateek BuchDr Evan Harris addresses the Science is Vital rally outside the Treasury in London on Saturday 9 October 2010. Photograph: Prateek BuchJenny Rohn2010-10-20T16:28:15ZChances are, we'd all benefit from a statistics lesson | Frank Swainhttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/statistics-day-spending-cuts
With large numbers of scientists about to become unemployed, the public is going to need some serious protection from statisticians who go bad, says Frank Swain<p>Today, in case you didn't know, is <a href="http://unstats.un.org/unsd/wsd/" title="World Statistics Day">World Statistics Day</a>, a UN-sponsored event celebrating the &quot;many contributions and achievements of official statistics&quot;. I'm not sure why the UN felt the need to emphasise that only official statistics would be honoured, as if implying that unofficial statistics like your annual take-home salary or the number of women you've bedded are somehow less credible as contributions and achievements. Starting at the aesthetically pleasing time of 20:10 (on 20/10/2010), the <a href="http://www.rsscse.org.uk/" title="Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education">Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education</a> kicks off a 10-year statistical literacy campaign, <a href="http://www.getstats.org.uk/" title="Getstats">getstats</a>, aimed at helping Britons understand numbers about numbers, so that we can make better-informed choices and live better lives as a result.</p><p>This is somewhat ironic, as the statistic weighing on the minds of most mathematicians (and of all British scientists) is the proposed 25% cuts to the UK science budget. If that happens, we shouldn't be surprised if itinerant scientists start popping up on street corners selling copper stripped from solenoids and offering to read your fortune with multi-dimensional Myers-Briggs matrices. The most dangerous among these Royal Society rascals will be the statisticians, precisely because they understand odds better than we can.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/statistics-day-spending-cuts">Continue reading...</a>ScienceMathematicsScience policyPoliticsMathematicsEducationSpending review 2010Tax and spendingWed, 20 Oct 2010 11:13:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/statistics-day-spending-cutsAllstar/Touchstone/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarVincent and Fast Eddie aka Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in The Color Of Money Photograph: Allstar/Touchstone/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarAllstar/Touchstone/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarVincent and Fast Eddie aka Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in The Color Of Money Photograph: Allstar/Touchstone/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarFrank Swain2010-10-20T11:13:41ZWhat will the spending review mean for the science budget?http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/spending-review-science-budget
Britain's scientists and engineers will hear today how they have fared in the comprehensive spending review. We ask them for their reaction to the likely freezing of the science budget<br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2010/oct/20/spending-review-science-budget#start-of-comments">Please post your own reactions below</a></em><p>The day of reckoning has arrived. This afternoon, George Osborne will lay out where the axe will fall across government departments, and the picture is likely to be a grim one for many in the public sector. </p><p>Sources in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills tell me that the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/19/spending-review-science-budget-spared">&pound;4.6bn spent each year on scientific research will be maintained and ringfenced</a> for the next four years, a cut in real terms of around 10% in the science budget taking account of inflation. The capital expenditure budget - a further &pound;1.4bn - is not protected, and could be halved. The full impact of this may not be clear for some time.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/spending-review-science-budget">Continue reading...</a>Science funding crisisScience policyScienceSpending review 2010Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:58:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/20/spending-review-science-budgetOli Scarff/Getty ImagesDanny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, reads a draft of the spending review. How will it affect the science budget? Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesOli Scarff/Getty Images EuropeA detail view of a draft copy of the comprehensive spending review being read by Danny Alexander, the chief Secretary to the Treasury, as he arrives at the Treasury building on October 19, 2010 Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images EuropeIan Sample2010-10-20T09:58:53ZScientists lobby parliament to halt cutshttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/13/science-is-vital-lobby
Researchers fear science has been branded an expense instead of an investment in the future, says Dr Hilary Leevers<p>It's rare to see the largest committee room at the House of Commons packed with constituents demanding to meet their MPs. It's rarer still for those constituents to be mild-mannered scientists and engineers.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/13/science-is-vital-lobby">Continue reading...</a>Science policyPoliticsScienceSpending review 2010Tax and spendingWed, 13 Oct 2010 15:55:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/13/science-is-vital-lobbyLinda Nylind/GuardianScientists add pressure to the coalition government over cuts to science research. Photograph: Linda NylindLinda Nylind/GuardianA microscope at the chemistry laboratory at Imperial College London Photograph: Linda NylindHilary Leevers2010-10-13T15:55:03ZA sleeping beast awakes on the Science is Vital rally | Jenny Rohnhttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/12/science-is-vital-rally
<strong>Jenny Rohn</strong>, whose call to arms culminated in the Science is Vital rally outside the Treasury on Saturday, describes how she watched in awe as scientists took to the streets<p>Last Saturday, several thousand scientists and their supporters massed in front of the Treasury building in Westminster to speak out against proposed funding cuts for scientific research. Standing on the stage for my opening speech, I surveyed the sea of protestors in a state of awe.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/12/science-is-vital-rally">Continue reading...</a>Science funding crisisScience policySciencePoliticsSpending review 2010Tax and spendingLiberal-Conservative coalitionConservativesResearch fundingEducationTue, 12 Oct 2010 11:47:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/12/science-is-vital-rallyJenny Rohn2010-10-12T11:47:14ZEvan Harris: Scientists must fight for their fundinghttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/aug/27/scientists-fight-funding-spending-review
<strong>Evan Harris</strong> issues a call to arms to British scientists facing swingeing cuts in funding in the forthcoming spending review<p>The science community is getting increasingly apprehensive about <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/26/scientists-research-cuts-spending" title="Guardian: UK scientists on collision course over &pound;1bn research cuts">the prospect of significant cuts in funding</a> when the <a href="http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_index.htm" title="HM Treasury: Public spending review">public spending review</a> takes place in October. Don't the prime minister and his chancellor recognise that investment in science (both pure and applied) <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2010/jun/15/budget-deficit-science-engineering" title="Guardian: To plug the budget deficit we must invest in science and engineering | Imran Kahn">has a vital role in creating the economic growth we need to solve our problems</a>? Scientific investment creates and exploits new knowledge, as well as attracting <a href="http://eprints.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/5280/1/Haskel%202010-01.pdf" title="Imperial College London Business School: Public support for innovation, intangible investment and productivity growth in the UK market sector">inward investment</a>. It also generates both new businesses and a highly-skilled workforce.</p><p>Cutting such investment will damage the prospects for economic growth and <a href="http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2010/05/transforming-the-british-economy-coalition-strategy-for-economic-growth-51132" title="Number10.gov.uk: Transforming the British economy: Coalition strategy for economic growth">rebalancing the economy</a> towards high-tech and manufacturing and away from our current over-reliance on financial services.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/aug/27/scientists-fight-funding-spending-review">Continue reading...</a>ScienceScience policyPoliticsLiberal DemocratsLiberal-Conservative coalitionEconomic policyCernUK newsScience funding crisisSpending review 2010Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:46:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/aug/27/scientists-fight-funding-spending-reviewOli Scarff/Getty ImagesChancellor George Osborne is unlikely to see the big picture on science funding unless protesters are at the gates of Downing Street. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Gettyguardian.co.ukEvan Harris2010-08-27T10:46:56Z